China is proving each day that its forces are increasingly primed for ending the Western-led regional order of the Indo-Pacific.
American defense planners continue to treat the global strategic situation as though the year is still 1991, with the United States as the global hegemon and its strategic rivals far behind. This mentality is starting to have devastating impacts on national security. As F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation warplanes continue falling out of the skies and F-22 Raptors remain in critically short supply, China is churning out their own fifth-generation warplanes like sausages.
Whereas, until recently the Americans could soothe themselves that the quality of their planes was better than whatever quantity the Chinese could pump out, even this claim has been thrown into question—both by the F-35’s spate of mysterious crashes and by the stellar performance of the Chinese jets in the recent war between India and Pakistan. As things are going, China is beating the United States on all fronts.
China’s Aerospace Industry Is Upstaging the Americans
Beijing’s fifth-generation warplane, the Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” has just shown the Americans and their allies that they no longer rule the skies alone. According to reports coming out of the Indo-Pacific, the Chinese secretly flew one of their advanced J-20 fighters through the Tsushima Strait. If true, that pass-through of a hotly contested region by a Chinese stealth fighter—that went totally undetected by the Japanese—indicates that the quality, as well as the overwhelming quantity, of the Chinese warplanes are a true threat.
Not only is the Tsushima Strait hotly contested and heavily trafficked, but it is covered by three different powerful militaries: the US military, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and the South Korean Armed Forces. All three of these militaries missed the Chinese flyby!
By transiting the Tsushima Strait undetected, the Chinese demonstrated that their systems work well against American and Western systems. As noted, this was already amply demonstrated earlier this year in South Asia, when Pakistani forces using Chinese-made weapons and warplanes managed to hold their own against the ostensibly superior Western-supplied Indian Armed Forces.
Although none of the Western governments involved in this incident have officially commented on what precisely transpired in the Tsushima Strait, this is not the first time a Chinese J-20 has covertly penetrated well-defended airspace. Back in 2023, for example, People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Captain Yang Juncheng of the “Wang Hai” brigade told Chinese state-run media that he “flew over Taiwan, overseeing the entire island from his cockpit.” According to Captain Yang, he “flew over the Bashi Channel, the Miyako Strait, and the Tsushima Strait in the East China Sea” in his J-20. Two years later, Wing Commander Wang Nan claimed his J-20 conducted a similar feat.
China is proving each day that its forces are increasingly primed for ending the Western-led regional order of the Indo-Pacific. The J-20 is a key weapon in that campaign.
The J-20 emerged from China’s J-XX program in the late 1990s, spurred by the PLAAF’s recognition of the technological gap in air power, particularly after the capabilities that the United States military displayed during Desert Storm. Chengdu’s Project 718 was selected in 2008 as the basis for the J-20.
China’s J-20 made its maiden flight on January 11, 2011, and entered service with the PLAAF in March 2017. It was publicly unveiled at the 2016 China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. Designed primarily for air superiority missions, the plane is intended to project power in regions like the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and Western Pacific Ocean, enhancing China’s ability to assert territorial claims and deter foreign intervention.
Stealth features, such as a low-radar cross-section, are essential for the J-20. The stealth capabilities of this bird are achieved in part through external shaping, the application of radar-absorbent materials, and internal weapons bays. Its design includes a chiseled nose, diverterless supersonic inlets (DSI), and a canard-delta wing configuration for enhanced maneuverability.
One of the upgrades the J-20 is receiving is its engines. These planes were originally powered by Russian AL-31F engines, but the Chinese eventually replaced these with domestically-manufactured WS-10C engines. Today, the even more advanced Chinese WS-15 engines, offering supercruise capability and thrust-vectoring, are in use. These remarkable engines provide around 44,000 pounds of thrust, improving performance over earlier models.
The J-20 can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2 (1,480 mph) and has a range of around 3,682 miles. It can carry up to 24,000 pounds of ordnance, including the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles, PL-10 short-range missiles, and potentially air-to-surface munitions.
There are three main variants for this plane: the initial production model: the J-20A, the J-20B, which features thrust-vectoring engines for improved maneuverability, and the J-20S, the world’s first twin-seat stealth fighter.
Could the J-20 Defeat America’s Fifth-Generation Fighters?
As China has striven to make their J-20 Mighty Dragon truly dominant when compared to the American fifth-generation warplanes it will face, Beijing is constantly upgrading the J-20. One such breakthrough that occurred earlier this year was in Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor technology, which allegedly tripled the J-20’s Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar detection range—significantly enhancing its ability to detect (and engage) enemy aircraft at long distances.
Reports suggest that as of 2024, China possessed anywhere between 195-300 J-20s, with production rates at an astonishing rate of 40 to 120 airframes per year. Some projections indicate that the J-20 fleet could grow by 1,000 units by 2035—putting it roughly on par with the number of F-35s around the world today.
When compared with its American rivals such as the F-22, the J-20 has a longer range and potentially greater missile capacity. China’s PL-15 missiles may outrange US AIM-120 AMRAAM systems, although this has not been confirmed. However, it is believed that the J-20 lacks in maneuverability and stealth optimization when compared to the F-22. And even with the advancements to the J-20’s engines, the F-22’s engines are superior to those found on the J-20.
What about the F-35? The J-20 is both faster and has a longer range than the F-35, but the American fifth-gen fighter’s advanced sensors and network connectivity make it more versatile. The J-20’s larger radar cross-section is a disadvantage, too.
Whatever the outcome of those two hypothetical fights, the J-20 Mighty Dragon is a formidable warplane today. Americans underestimate these planes at their own peril. What’s more, it is very clear, given the examples of the J-20’s covert penetration of well-defended airspace in the region, that the Americans and their allies are struggling to confront the advanced Chinese fighter. And as China’s defense industrial base continues to churn out J-20s with machine-like efficiency, this problem will only deepen.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Xiao Wei.
